Landowners Lose Case To D-M & E

Gillette, Wy – A judge in Gillette has ordered twolandowners to allow their property to be surveyed by the Dakota,Minnesota and Eastern Railroad for a planned rail line. The railroad sued Lenard Seeley and Jerry Dilts for permissionto survey land they own in Campbell, Converse and Weston counties.The surveys are in preparation for a six (b) billion-dollar railline for exporting coal from the Powder River Basin. The surveys could be a step toward the railroad using eminentdomain to obtain the land. The landowners said they didn't want to deal with the railroaduntil they could be more certain that the project would go ahead. Judge Nick Deegan said he sympathized with the landowners. Buthe said he's bound by law to allow the D-M-and-E to survey theproperty.